Elements of Change
by TheHorologium
Summary: [Real World AU] Ruby Rose is an exceptionally gifted young artist, brought out of her comfort zone into an elitist university - and finds herself alienated by her snobby peers. The few friendships Ruby forges and protects will be worth more than any fortune...and will uncover more horrific secrets than she ever cared to learn.
1. Initiation

**Welcome to my second fan-fic, and to those who read 'The Vytal Tournament' (my previous and first project), welcome back!**

**I also have a Tumblr by the way! If you want to keep up to date with when I'll be posting chapters and my other musings, I'm registered there as 'thehorologium'. Yes, the spelling of that is correct. :3**

**You can follow me, and I can follow you, and we can geek out about RWBY, and stuff...**

**This fiction is an AU taking the characters of RWBY and placing them in a modern day American university setting, akin to the real world. With a few twists, of course...**

**I hope you enjoy this first chapter, the first of many.**

* * *

_What a crummy day._

The weather provided a perfect, real world metaphor for how Ruby Rose's first day of university had gone. The sky was overcast with looming grey clouds, which rolled over each other all the way into the horizon; a glum reminder of just how poorly her attempts at establishing friendships had gone.

On numerous occasions, the sixteen year old girl had offered greetings and handshakes to the many other new arrivals on campus; all had either ignored her or barely so much as returned the introduction. Having become exhausted with the rejections of these snobbish new students, Ruby had unpacked her suitcases into her dormitory room as quickly as she could, and resorted to her usual strategy: go for a long, long walk.

And so the lone teenager found herself wandering through the sparse woodlands, far from the campus.

She scowled, kicking dirt and leaves with the tip of her boots with every step. She had scarcely even noticed her own clenched fists, buried in the pockets of her crimson hoodie.

_I can't believe I moved four states away for this..._

Ruby came to a stop near the boundary between woodland and clearing. She plopped down onto a large log, chewing at the sleeve of her hoodie and tapping on her phone. A message was flashing on the screen, distracting her from arranging playlists of music. With a tired sigh, Ruby opened up the message.

[_FROM: YANG_

_HEYYYY LIL SIS! GOOD 1ST DAY AT UNI?  
_

_HOPE UR HAVING FUN! TEXT ME BACK X X X]_

She half-heartedly discarded the message. Yang would have to wait - Ruby was having anything _but_ a good first day. Regardless, Ruby intended to lie to her big sister. It was embarassing to have made no friends, or even accquaintances; and much to her envy, Yang was the polar opposite. Her big sister was a voluptuous and lively Californian blonde, capable of attracting and building social circles within a matter of minutes of meeting strangers.

Ruby rested her face in her hands, twiddling with the red highlights of her dark brown hair. Perhaps she would just have to spend the next four years alone.

_At least I'll stay focused on work, I guess._

A soft, unusual sound interrupted the steady murmur of the forest. A noise in the background that Ruby had not noticed.

She glanced upwards, and around, searching for its source - she had presumed herself to be entirely alone, after all.

The teenage girl stood up from the log and crept between the towering trees, narrowing down the location of what she now distinguished as crying. She stuck close to the trunks of the foliage, hiding and scurrying through the shadows of the forest canopy just like the squirrels which inhabited this environment.

Ruby came to a wide open field, full of grass which reached up to her hips. She waded slowly through the plants, cautiously closing in towards the origin of this distressed individual; though whoever it may be was well hidden amongst the shoots of overgrown grass.

She stepped on a brittle twig, which crunched under her boot. Ruby gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth instinctively, having alerted the stranger to her presence. In response, the gentle weeping halted in an instant, and a tense absence of sound hung in the air.

Ruby darted her head around trying to spot the stranger.

Nothing-

A rustling to her right.

She swivelled around to face the noise but saw only empty fields.

Whoever had been crying had escaped superbly, leaving Ruby alone with nature once more.

_Great. Can't even help a stranger in need - let alone befriend one._

She sighed and strolled a couple steps further into the field, intending to continue her walk, when she noticed a repetitive _crunch_ beneath her feet. Ruby looked down, curious.

_Frost? At this time of year?_

She observed the surrounding dirt floor, its surface glistening with a thin crust of ice. Ruby had never been the superstitious type...and yet, something about being in a forest on a cloudy day with random patches of ice appearing seemed to unnerve her.

The red hooded girl quickly navigated her way back towards the campus, albeit not without some reluctance.

* * *

Ruby eventually found herself back at _Amber Apartments - _her residence for her first academic year at Beacon University. She slipped through the main door and ascended the staircase, finally exiting on Floor 5.

Nervously, she edged through the flat door, facing a long hallway lined on either side with dormitories. At the very end of the corridor was a communal kitchen and living area, and emanating from it she heard echoes of conversation and laughter. Ruby could not help but feel glum that she had effectively excluded herself from the initial period of acquainting with other flatmates, simply because she had opted to go for a long walk instead. A walk which had left her thirsty and in need of a glass of water.

The only source of water was the kitchen tap.

Ruby anxiously paced down the hall, closer and closer to the intimidating sounds of flatmates she didn't even know yet.

_Maybe I can just rush in and out without them noticing?_

She stepped in, apparently unnoticed by the large group of fellow students conversing with each other. She made sure to keep her eyes fixed on the sink, clumsily grabbing a glass from the cupboard. Ruby hastily filled the glass with clear, cool water and turned to escape back to her room, mere moments away from safety.

"Uh, 'scuse me? Who are _you_?" a deep, masculine voice said from the far side of the kitchen.

She panicked, suddenly unable to find the confidence to even speak her own name. Ruby hated being put on the spot.

"Wait, is she some fuckin' homeless kid who just walked in or something? Look at her jacket..." another voice muttered not-so-quietly. Another thing she hated: people talking as if she wasn't even in the room.

"I...uhm...I'm- I'm R-Ruby. I'm...in room s-seven." she sputtered out. Ruby noticed she was nearly spilling the water with her shaking hands.

_Come on, hold it together! Be cool!_

The tall, blonde haired boy with the deep voice nodded indifferently.

"Uh,_ 'kay_."

The group of ten returned to some kind of obscure card game, drinking ever more alcohol in accordance with the 'rules'. Ruby turned back to the sink pretending to be busy with something; in reality, she found herself paralysed with anxiety.

The spiteful gossip continued behind her, just barely loud enough to be audible.

"We got some weird ones in our flat I guess..."

"Indeed. Like there's that other girl, what's her name...y'know, the one who's always carrying around some book, barely came out of her room today..."

Ruby felt herself wanting to run - but could only remain rooted to the spot.

"That would be _me,_ by the way." said a softer, friendlier voice right next to her.

Ruby was startled by the proximity of this new stranger, near enough spilling her drink all over her hoodie. She turned on her heel to see a black haired girl, dressed in a similarly dark silk dressing gown. The newcomer sauntered airily over to the fridge and retrieved a milk carton.

The black haired girl noticed Ruby's nervous glances and smiled politely.

"I'm Blake. Blake Belladonna. What's your name?" she said calmly. Feeling a little more at ease, Ruby rallied the confidence to speak once more.

"My name is R-Ruby Rose. H-Hi."

Blake shook Ruby's hand whilst clutching a tattered book with her free hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ruby. I'm just heading to bed now...but I'm sure we can get properly acquainted at tomorrow's induction ceremony. It starts at ten o'clock in the morning. We could walk there together, if you'd like."

Ruby felt momentarily mesmerised by the tranquility of Blake's voice, coupled with her captivating, mysterious beauty. Snapping out of her trance, Ruby nodded - perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

"Alright then. Let's meet in the kitchen at nine-thirty. Good night, Ruby." Blake finished with a warm smile, before swiftly leaving the room. Having been freed of her nervousness, Ruby followed suit and exited the kitchen under the scrutinising, prejudiced stares of the other flatmates.

She flopped down on her bed and exhaled. Today had been tough, but there was at least one saving grace.

_I have a friend!_

And with that victory in mind, Ruby drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A sharp knocking brought Ruby out of her vivid dreams. She leant up against her pillow, before she slumped back down, too tired to answer the door.

"_Nnghh..._come back later please..." she groaned.

"Ruby? It's me, Blake...we met yesterday evening? Our induction starts in twenty minutes."

_Oh no! How did I forget?! And I can't lose my only friend within a day!_

Ruby leapt out of her bed and hurriedly started changing into clean clothes, brushing her teeth, and tidying her hair - all simultaneously.

"Gah! I'll be one minute! Please wait for meeee!" Ruby shouted from inside her room. Blake smirked as she waited patiently outside the door.

Soon enough, Ruby emerged from her room looking a little out of breath - but ready nonetheless. She locked her door and wore a slightly terrified smile; the kind of awkward, feigned cheerfulness one might expect from the new kid at school. Apparently amused, Blake gestured for Ruby to lead the way, and they proceeded outside towards the main lecture hall.

The building they arrived at minutes later was breath-taking.

White bricks arched upwards into hexagonal towers around the centre bulk of the ivy-covered structure, with an enormous emblem painted above the grandiose wooden doors. This was the centrepiece of Beacon University, and Ruby had only seen it in pictures and brochures until now.

"Whooaaah..." she said as she craned her head backwards, taking in the full panorama before her. Blake stifled a laugh - Ruby's child-like reaction was priceless.

"Come on, let's get inside Ruby. Seats will be filling up quick."

Ruby nodded and they entered through the massive oak doors.

They were met with the low murmur of hundreds of new students bustling around, all crowding in to grab seats. Blake and Ruby sauntered in, casually observing the many ornate portraits of previous professors and chancellors which decorated the great hall.

"So, you and I didn't really get a chance to properly meet last night." Blake said. Ruby cleared her throat and took the initiative to secure at least one friendship.

"Oh yeah I, uh, guess not! So, uhm...what are you majoring in?"

"Literature and Creative Writing. It's always been my passion, so I saw no reason not to continue studying it at a degree level. How about you? Pardon my curiosity, but...you seem quite young."

Ruby felt anxiety creeping up on her again; she couldn't believe how easily she stuck out as 'too young'.

"I...I got recommended to fast-track to college. I'm majoring in Art. I kinda..._skipped _the last two years of high school..." Ruby replied meekly.

Blake almost took a step back in surprise.

"You left high school early? You must be about sixteen years old, I'm guessing...and got accepted into one of the most prestigious universities in the United States?"

"I was doing pretty well in my art classes...well enough that Ozpin came by my school one day. Asked if I wanted to move straight to Beacon."

Blake's jaw dropped.

"_President Ozpin _came to see you?! Personally?"

Ruby giggled and nodded, whilst Blake laughed along, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well I guess I've heard it all now! Wow...a personal visit from the head of the university. That's...extremely impressive. You must be a _stellar _artist."

"I draw some pretty good stick men..." Ruby said with a deadpan expression. The two broke out into laughter again, and finally spotted a pair of vacant seats. They hurried across to secure the spot.

Ruby approached the girl sat next to the two empty seats cautiously, tapping her on the shoulder.

"Um, e-excuse me? Are these seats taken?"

The girl turned to face her.

_Whoa..._

The girl who faced Ruby had a beauty which appeared to be the polar opposite of Blake's. Her hair was a brilliant white, hanging in a long, offsets ponytail; the suit pants and jacket she wore were a similar bright white. She met Ruby's gaze with sapphire blue eyes, one of which interrupted a faint pink scar. Coupled with her pale, unmarked skin and perfect posture, Ruby began to wonder if she had stumbled into royalty.

The girl shook her head, and returned her unwavering attention to the front of the hall. Ruby looked to Blake, who shrugged. Together they sat down and waited patiently for the induction to begin.

Ruby's confidence had grown a little, however, and had plans to extend her social life further.

"So, uhm...I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose! What's your name?" she exclaimed, perhaps a little too overconfidently. The white-haired girl turned her head slowly once more, glancing at Ruby.

"Weiss." she replied indifferently.

"_Weiss. _That's a really nice name. What are you majoring in, Weiss?" Ruby inquired. Weiss seemed to roll her eyes.

"Chemistry."

"Oh cool, that's some, uh, hard stuff you gotta learn! I'm majoring in art myself. Oh, and this is my friend Blake." Ruby gestured to the black-haired girl to her left. "She's studying Literature!"

"Fine." Weiss replied in a disinterested monotone, staring straight ahead.

Ruby awkwardly shrunk down into her seat a little, returning her attention to Blake.

"Just another elitist snob. At least that one gave you her name...don't let it bother you." Blake murmured in a tone audible only to Ruby. Ruby seemed to scowl.

"That's not nice. Why generalise everybody else here as snobs just as quickly as snobs would generalise us as 'weird'?" Ruby whispered back. Blake seemed acutely embarrassed, and nodded in agreement.

"You're right. That _was_ quite narrow-minded of me. I'm sorry."

Ruby flashed a thumbs-up back to her.

"Wait, Ruby, look...it's President Ozpin." Blake tapped her on the shoulder, and both of them looked over to the grey-haired man in a black jacket and sage scarf. Suddenly, there was another tapping on Ruby's opposite shoulder.

"Excuse me, I need to get out."

She swivelled around to see Weiss, who was gesturing that she wanted to get out of the aisle. Ruby tilted her head in confusion.

"Huh? But...the president is about to begin the induction speech, and-"

"Move, now. _Please_."

The snowy-haired girl seemed desperate, so Ruby stood from her seat and motioned for Blake to do the same. Weiss slipped past and strutted out of the hall swiftly.

"That was strange..." Ruby whispered as the lights dimmed, and a spotlight focused on Ozpin.

"Probably just really needed the bathroom or something." Blake replied quietly. "Look sharp, Ruby. Ozpin's about to speak."

They both found their attention fixed on the university president, just like the rest of the audience. The president calmly stepped over to the podium, pausing for effect as all eyes bore down upon him, accompanied by a tense silence.

He cleared his throat and rested his hands on a sleek, black cane.

"You are all here because something sets you apart from the rest. Talent, intelligence and ambition."

He paused for effect.

"You are also all here because these attributes you have are unrefined. Blunt, undisciplined, and inefficient."

Again, Ozpin paused, letting his message sink in. Nobody dared to break the silence; not even a slight murmur arose.

"It is our duty here at Beacon University to sharpen your skills and craft the greatest individuals of the next generation...right within these very walls. But, heed my warning. For I am only going to say this _once._"

"Those of you who rest on your laurels are destined to _fail_. Whoever you were, whatever your previous grades were, however grand your family fortune is - all of this is, ultimately, irrelevant. You will be judged only on the merits of your own efforts here."

The spotlight snapped off, and the main lights were brought back on as Ozpin briskly walked off the podium and disappeared through the curtains. The crowd of fresh students began to speak in hushed voices as they got up from their seats; many seemed demotivated by their headmaster's speech.

Ruby couldn't be more content, however.

_A place full of rich kids...where I won't be judged for not being rich._

"Interesting..." Blake mused to herself as she and Ruby got to their feet to leave. They stepped down towards the corridor and joined the stream of other students heading towards the exit.

Something familiar caught Ruby's attention. A sound she'd heard before. She halted in the middle of the hallway, to which Blake looked perplexed.

"Ruby?"

"I'll meet you back at the apartment, Blake. I just need to go the bathroom, that's all."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you at home then." Blake nodded and turned to leave. Ruby waited until she had left, and slipped away from the crowd into a deserted hallway.

The young girl stepped cautiously down the long corridor, the sound becoming ever more clear as she approached the bathroom door at the end. Ruby stopped just outside the door, gently resting her ear on it to confirm her suspicions; it was the same crying she had heard yesterday in the woodlands.

Gently, Ruby pushed open the door.

She was greeted with a spectacle unlike any other.

The bathroom was coated in a glistening, tranquil layer of faint blue ice - the ceiling, the stalls and the floor were encapsulated within this frosty covering. It was as if Winter itself had swept through this room alone. Ruby was scarcely aware of her own mouth hanging open in awe.

Ruby also only just noticed the figure in the corner of the room, whose attire camouflaged her with the icy floor she was slumped upon.

_Weiss?_

The two gazed at each other in shock, like deer caught in headlights. Neither moved a muscle.

Silence.

Ruby tried to speak, her voice croaky and terrified.

"I-"

Weiss rushed at her from the floor, grabbing Ruby's shoulders and silencing her as they stared into each other's pupils.

"_Don't. Tell. Anyone._"

* * *

**Thanks for reading the first chapter! It was a slower paced chapter, but one that I hope gets you hooked and intrigues you enough to want to tune in for the next chapter, which should be available within a few days or sooner.**

**Let me know what you thought in the reviews if you'd like. Feel free to shoot me a PM if I dun goof'd in terms of spelling/grammar at some point. I doubt I have but there's always a margin for error.**

**Until next time, Horologium out!**


	2. Co-operation

Cerulean eyes met with silver eyes, as the two girls stared at each other face to face, devoid of words. Weiss tried to hide her panic, but found her fingers twitching as she held onto the brunette's shoulders. To make matters worse, her breathing rate was elevated and her heart pounded away in her chest with fear.

_What am I going to do when she tells everybody?! _

_I'm going to lose my place at Beacon, my future career, my reputation, my-_

"You're like a _superhero!_" Ruby squealed with a great, toothy smile. Weiss blinked and leaned back in surprise.

"...A _what?_"

"I can't believe superpowers are_ real!_ Oh my god oh my god oh my _god_, all the stuff I read in comics is like - is like true! There really _are_ heroes! Can you fly? Do you have _lazer eyes?!_ Do you fight crime at night, l-like a vigilante? Like _Batman?_ Do you have an arch-nemesis?! Oh, oh! Wait! Do you have a _costume?_ 'Cos if you do I really really _really _wanna see it an-"

Weiss silenced Ruby with a decisive flick on the forehead, overwhelmed by the barrage of juvenile questions directed at her.

"Just _stop. Stop talking_ already. I...nobody can know about this, do you _understand?!_"

Ruby nodded like a lunatic.

"Oh I definitely understand, Weiss, I promise! I- I can be your crime-fighting partner! We'll be a _team!_ You can be Ice-Girl, and I can be...uhm...'The Mysterious Rose'. Yeah! That's what I'll be...I mean, I don't have a superpower, but-"

"_Stop it._"

"Stop what?"

"Stop calling it a _superpower!_ You have _no idea_ what I have to-"

Weiss fell silent in an instant. "_Someone's coming. We need to hide, now!_" she whispered, and the two of them scarpered into a stall, with Ruby's mouth being covered by Weiss's shaking hand. They stood motionless, waiting.

The echo of the creaking door opening reverberated off the icy walls.

"What the..." said a bewildered, unfamiliar voice. Several tense econds later, the door slammed and they heard rapid footsteps outside the bathroom. Weiss and Ruby relaxed, stumbling out of the stall.

"Whoever that was is going to be back _soon_. And, they'll have a staff member with them. We need to leave, _right now._"

Ruby nodded in agreement, and the two girls scurried out of the bathroom and down the hallway - fortunately, without being seen. They came to a halt after a full five minutes of escaping the scene, stopping in the quiet confines of a desolate library. The two took a moment to catch their breath, hiding behind the cover of various dusty bookcases.

"So, uhm, why did you do that to the bathroom?" Ruby questioned.

Weiss shot her a look, as if Ruby had just spat in her drink. "_Ugh_, you dunce! I didn't do that on purpose! You don't understand _anything_ about me, or my condition-"

"Then _make me_ understand!" she retorted.

Weiss paused, folding her arms as she faced away from Ruby.

"You're a threat to my safety. If people find out what I am...what I can _do_..." Weiss did not finish her sentence, instead leaving it to Ruby's interpretation. "Fine. I'll strike you a deal. I'll tell you all about me...and _you_ don't say a _word_ about this to anybody. Agreed?"

Ruby held out her hand.

"Agreed. Shake on it?"

Weiss hesitantly placed her hand within Ruby's, and they shared a tentative handshake. Immediately, Weiss recoiled and went back to folding her arms defensively.

"Alright then. Come with me. We'll go back to my accomodation...I don't trust this place enough to have _this_ conversation within these walls."

Weiss led Ruby out of the building, proceeding down a short road towards a gravel parking lot. The white-haired girl produced a set of car keys from her pocket, and nonchalantly clicked the button. Ruby's jaw dropped when she saw the car which responded with a flash of its xenon lights.

A sterling silver Mercedes-Benz SLR winked twice from across the parking lot.

"_No way! _This is _your car?!_" Ruby gawked at the spotless sports car. It was probably worth more than her house.

Weiss shrugged as she swung the door open, reclined into the driver's seat, and gestured for Ruby to get in. She complied, and her eyes were fixated on Weiss in sheer awe.

"But...but it must have cost you a _fortune!_ How rich _are _you?!"

The girl with the snowy hair looked blankly at Ruby.

"_Very_ rich. My father owns Schnee Pharmaceuticals."

Weiss turned the key and the engine roared to life. She manoeuvred the sleek vehicle out onto the main road, and accelerated away from the campus.

"_Schnee Pharmaceuticals?! _That's like, one of the wealthiest companies in the world!"

"Yes, I _am _aware of that Ruby."

"So you're Weiss Schnee? Whoa...wait, where are we going? The campus apartments are the other wa-"

"I have privately purchased accommodation."

"Ohhh...so, why Chemistry?"

Weiss rolled her eyes as she shifted the car into fourth gear. "Why do you think? I'm next in line to inherit the world's largest pharmaceutical producer, a multi-billion dollar empire. I'm expected to know the science behind the various chemical compounds we produce and sell."

"Ahh, okay..." Ruby slouched into her seat a little and fell silent; she was beginning to feel rather unimportant, very rapidly.

"Why art?"

Ruby glanced sideways. "Huh?"

"Why did you pick art?"

"...I'm good at it?" Ruby spoke nervously, waiting for the reply.

Weiss raised her eyebrows.

"As good a reason as any, I suppose."

* * *

The Mercedes came to a smooth stop outside an impressive, glass paned penthouse. Weiss swivelled out of the seat and slammed her door shut, barely giving Ruby a chance to scramble out of the car before she locked the car. She caught up to Weiss as they walked up the driveway and into the lavish residence of the Schnee heiress.

Weiss marched in to her residence, headed straight to the maroon leather couch ahead of her, and slumped into it with a tired sigh. She held her head in her hands and rubbed her eyes. Ruby awkwardly followed her into the room and sat into an armchair opposite her.

"So..." Ruby chirped.

"So."

"So...Ice-Girl. How did that happen?"

Weiss glared at the girl opposite her.

"Stop _saying that._ Just _stop_."

"Stop saying what?"

"_Ice-Girl. _Or _superhero, _or _superpower__. _You have no idea how it feels to be a _freak_."

"But I don't think you're a frea-"

"Well other people _DO, RUBY!_" Weiss shouted, slamming her fist into the couch. Ruby jumped back in her chair at the explosion of sound, too frightened to move. The heiress began to quietly sob into her hands once more, droplets twirling and falling from between her fingers. Anxiously, the brunette stood up from the armchair and sat beside Weiss, placing an arm around her.

Ruby gasped as frost seemed to materialise around Weiss's being; ice worked its way into the carpet, and elegant shimmering crystals of it were forming into miniature stalagmites on the floor.

"_It hurts..._" Weiss whispered through sobs with her head hung low. She was a sorry sight, far removed from the confident, stoic academic Ruby had met earlier this morning.

"What hurts? Do you need help? An ambulance?" Ruby said, pulling out her cell phone. The girl next to her waved her hand, signalling Ruby not to bother.

"_It's always so cold...inside my veins..._" Weiss brought her head up and mopped up some tears from her reddened eyes. "It happens when I least expect it, and when I least want it. Sometimes, when I'm in a big crowd, I just...get so _scared, and_...and then _this happens!_"

Weiss started crying into her hands once more, and Ruby offered a tighter embrace around the heiress's shoulders.

"Hey now, Weiss...it's...it's okay..."

Weiss exhaled and tried to compose herself. She sat upright and gently rested her trembling hands in her lap.

"I grew up in Alaska. I had to move schools a lot as a kid...it never took long before an 'incident' would happen, and my father would have to cover it all up and transfer me somewhere else. I didn't really _have_ 'friends'...I never knew _anyone_ for long..." She sniffed and cleared her throat. "It's just certain things trigger me, trigger these_ panic attacks_, and once they start...I can't...I just _can't stop the cold taking over..._"

Weiss slumped back into the couch, swallowing and staring solemnly up at the ceiling.

"Maybe I can help."

The heiress turned to face Ruby with a grimace.

"You can't help. No-one can..."

"Have you ever let anybody try?"

Weiss did not reply; in turn, Ruby took this as a positive sign to continue.

"We can't be around each other all the time, since we have different classes, but...but if we hung out at lunchtime and _after_ classes, at least at those times, then- then I might be able to keep you calm when you think you might start to panic..."

"And why is it that you can help me?"

"Because I know what it's like to be scared of the crowd...to be the weirdo." Ruby muttered with a sigh. "I'm, uhm, not exactly _popular_ with any of my flatmates right now. So yeah, I think I can help you, Weiss. And nobody has to know _anything._"

Weiss cracked a weak smile. "Promise?"

"Promise." Ruby grinned back.

* * *

The door to Amber Apartments creaked open as a red-hooded girl tip-toed back inside. She crept into the dark, deserted communal kitchen, headed for a secret supply of chocolate chip cookies she had cached within a cluttered cupboard. She clasped her hand around the packet, trying to open it with as little noise as possible...

"You're late."

Ruby suppressed a shocked squeal, unaware of the figure which had been sitting silently in the corner of the room.

Blake.

_Dammit, she's so sneaky!_

"Uh, I was out. Socialising. Meet and greet kinda thing."

"It's past midnight, Ruby. You told me you were going to the bathroom...I was worried when you hadn't returned after _four hours._"

Ruby held her hands up defensively.

"Okay okay, I'm sorry! I got talking to...someone. Someone cool."

"You spent a _lot_ of time talking to them."

"Yeah, but...this was important. Trust me Blake."

Blake twitched her head, curious, but asked no more questions. Ruby bid her good night and left for her room, giving her some much needed solitude.

_What a day_.

Ruby had started the day feeling like a child amongst her older peers; she felt like a child even next to Blake. But now? Now she had a responsibility, a serious duty to a newfound friend in need.

Ruby Rose was finally starting to feel a little more adult.

* * *

**Short chapter I know, but useful for some character exposition I think. Hope you enjoyed it.**


	3. Gravitation

**There has been a significant hiatus in my writing, and you'll have to forgive me for that. I was diagnosed with acute appendicitis, which meant I had a very painful few weeks, and a couple nights in hospital. Since then I've lacked the motivation to write, especially for an ongoing saga like _Elements of Change_.**

**So unfortunately, updates for this fic will probably occur at much longer intervals than I'd hoped.**

**However, in order to make up for this, I will be creating some regular short RWBY one-shots, which I believe will spur my creativity and help me to get back on track for regular writing. **

**Enjoy Chapter 3, anyway.**

* * *

With a squinted eye and a delicate flick of the wrist, Ruby completed her creation.

_Phew. That was a difficult one...but I've gotta go._

As soon she had applied the final brushstroke, she stepped back and swung her rucksack from the floor, dashing out of the door and leaving the other fellow art students staring after her in bewilderment.

_I'm late, I_'_m late, I'm so late! _

Ruby weaved and dodged between amble bystanders as she raced down the hallway, towards the building exit.

It was 12:38, and she had promised to meet her new friend Weiss outside the Art Department at 12:30. The heiress didn't seem like the patient type, and Ruby got the impression that Weiss wasn't used to waiting for anything anyway.

She skidded to a an abrupt halt panting at the doorway - directly in front of her white-haired friend. Weiss stood stiffly, her arms folded whilst she glanced down at the intricate silver watch adorning her wrist.

"You're late. I've wasted eight minutes of my lunch break waiting here."

Ruby groaned with a pout.

"Ugh, I _know! _But I can't just leave my first class of the year without finishing up my work, can I?" she retorted. Weiss huffed and inspected her nails.

"Well, as punishment for your poor punctuality...I want you to show me your work." Weiss said cooly, her sapphire eyes meeting with Ruby's.

Ruby froze; she _hated_ people seeing her paintings.

Despite the fact that people often gave her great praise for her works, she always panicked whenever someone actually asked to observe her creations. Everybody interpreted art differently; Ruby always suffered from the paranoia that what she created may seem beautiful to her own eyes, but might appear disappointing to others.

"...Why?" she replied with narrowed eyes. Weiss placed her hands on her hips in response, stepping closer to Ruby.

"Given that you were in class eight minutes longer than the allotted time, I can only assume that you painted something which was rather demanding of _all_ your talent. I'd like to see what you're capable of."

Ruby anxiously bit her lip; she could't think of a plausible excuse as to why she couldn't show Weiss her artwork.

_Rats._

"...Fine. It's this way." Ruby said as she motioned for the older girl to follow her. Together, they took off down the bustling hallway. Meanwhile, Weiss couldn't help but notice Ruby's unusual gait - she trudged down the hall, as if marching towards detention. It was uncharacteristic, to say the least.

_Gah! What am I DOING?! My painting is gonna be nothing to someone of Weiss's status!_

Ruby's mind continued to race with ever-growing fears as they sauntered into the now empty classroom, where Ruby's painting still sat on the stand she had left it on when she had dashed out to meet Weiss.

"Well, there it is..." Ruby mumbled, half-heartedly pointing at the canvas. Weiss carefully approached, her hands behind her back as she absorbed the many fine details before her.

"What was the theme?"

Ruby perked her head up; it was surprising how quickly Weiss had deduced that the painting was based on a given theme.

"Oh. Uhm, we had to paint something from the past, re-imagined for the future. So..." Ruby trailed off, watching nervously as the heiress scrutinised the painting with an intense focus.

_Please like it, please like it, pleeeasse..._

* * *

Weiss couldn't deny it.

She was officially impressed.

Now she understood why Ruby had been moved up by two years - why she had been accepted into this prestigious institution with such ease.

Weiss scanned her eyes across the canvas. It was a simple concept, but the execution was..._flawless._

A viking longship, painted in feathery whites and greys to appear ethereal, was depicted as drifting gracefully through the dark, spectacular void of deep space. It should have looked ridiculous, an absurd concept; but Ruby's realisation of the idea and her impeccable attention to detail had rendered it to look so _right__. _Weiss couldn't help but feel somewhat smug that she had befriended such a unique artist - and a modest, unaware one at that. Ruby was more than a one in a million find...she was an impossibility.

_This painting alone is more exquisite than most of the artwork in the Schnee Mansion, for God's sake. And Ruby made this in less than five hours._

Weiss quickly caught herself beaming, and promptly removed the smile from her face.

_Hopefully Ruby didn't catch that._

"_Ahem._ Well, it is a _very _fine piece of work, Ruby. Well done indeed. What do you intend to do with it?"

Ruby blushed at the compliment, shrugging. "I...dunno. Put it in a plastic folder or something, I guess?"

She didn't show it, but Weiss was almost reeling from Ruby's response.

_Put in a folder? In a plastic folder?! _

_Does she realise this painting could potentially sell for thousands?!_

Taking a few moments to compose her voice, Weiss turned to Ruby with her typical neutral expression.

"If you would be interested, Ruby, I would quite like to purchase your work."

Ruby's jaw dropped.

"I- _I, uh- w-what - _D-did you say _purchase?_ You w-want to buy _my_ painting?!" she exclaimed with an expression which said it all. Weiss nodded confidently with a polite smile._  
_

"Absolutely. Just name a price."

_She wants to buy my painting. Weiss Schnee, one of the richest girls in the world...wants to buy MY painting._

Ruby's brain had turned into mush as she tried to process what was actually happening. Shaking her head, she tried to appear normal again.

"I, uhm, I mean - I mean if you want it, you can h-have it...y'know, like, without paying..."

Weiss took a step back, unprepared for that answer. She looked like she'd just seen a ghost. And quite frankly, Weiss had _never_ been caught off guard in such a manner - not like this.

"You want me...to h-have your painting...for _free_?!"

"...Uh, yeah! Sure."

"Are...are you joking with me?"_  
_

"No, no! I'd totally be okay with you having it Weiss! It'd be, ah, r-really cool actually!"

The two girls still stared disbelievingly at each other, unsure what to saw or do. A tense silence hung between the both of them, as they struggled to find the appropriate words; a silence which was only broken when the heiress cleared her throat after several suspenseful seconds.

"W-well, that's...that's extremely generous of you, Ruby." Weiss spoke softly, attempting to re-establish her stoic posture and professional demeanor. "We still have over an hour and a half before either of us has classes. Why don't we head back to mine and hang it up properly?"

Ruby blushed once more.

"You...you really wanna hang _my_ painting up in your place?" she said nervously, almost in a whisper. Weiss nodded with an ever-so-slight smirk that she couldn't restrain. "Okay then, sure!"

* * *

"Left a bit!"

Weiss sighed and shuffled her feet in the direction.

"Mmmm...too far. Go back right a little!"

"_Ugh,_ you don't have to be _that _precise, Ruby!" The heiress groaned and moved slightly to the right, Ruby Rose sat upon her shoulders. "Just don't drop that hammer on me, okay?!"

"Okaaaaay." Ruby replied comically, as she lined up the hammer in her hand with the nail pinning her painting to the bleach white wall. "We didn't have to put the painting so high up on the wall, y'know..."

"It looks best there, that's _why_! It's about the _feng shui_ of the room!" Weiss exclaimed, trying to shift the weight of Ruby on her shoulders.

"The feng _whaaaaa?_"

"_Forget it_, Ruby. Just hurry up and knock the nail in, I can't hold you forever!"

Ruby closed one eye and cautiously aimed the hammer. With a deft movement, she struck the head of the nail, and then again, and then more. Soon enough, after a solid minute of furious hammering, Ruby had fixed the painting onto the wall. With an enthusiastic leap backwards, she relieved Weiss of the pressure on her back.

"All done! Do you like it? Is it okay here? I mean, we kinda moved one of your _proper_ paintings over for this..."

Weiss dismissed Ruby's worries with one wave of her hand, whilst her other hand tended to her aching back, as the two of them looked upwards to observe Ruby's artwork, now proudly presented high up in Weiss's residence.

"Hush now, Ruby. It looks lovely. And what in the world makes you think your painting _isn't_ a 'proper painting'?"

Ruby smiled gratefully. "Thanks Weiss, I just...ah, never mind..."

Weiss crossed her arms and narrowed her focus onto the other girl. "Go on. I'm listening."

"Oh, uhm...it's just, I mean - I guess I just don't really see myself as a _real_ artist yet..."

There was a brief lull in the conversation.

"Well...that's _preposterous._"

"Huh?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, her expression as stern and cold as ever. "Ruby, you're a _remarkable _artist, and I daresay a visionary beyond your age. I saw the artwork of your peers back in that classroom. You're already leagues ahead of your fellow students in both technical skill _and_ breadth of imagination, and on top of _that,_ you've barely even tapped into your potential yet. For you to stand there and discredit yourself so _willingly_ is...well, it's just tragic for me or anyone else to watch."

Ruby was momentarily stunned. It was disguised as a lecture, but Weiss had just showered her in dazzling compliments and praise. And with that, she felt the rush of warmth spreading up through her cheeks.

_Uh oh._

She turned away just in time to hide yet _another_ tremendous blush, but silenced herself a moment too late, failing to stifle an embarrassed giggle.

_She liked the painting! She really, actually liked it!_

* * *

Blake Belladonna was sat comfortably on the sofa, legs tucked by her side, accompanied by a dusty, tattered monster of a book. The kind of book which could be judged by its cover...this was not a fictional work.

She rarely delved into textbooks and historical journals; Blake much preferred the immersion and creativity of a novel, the ability to escape into a world different from her own. But this particular book...had piqued her curiosity and stolen her attention. Now, she was in full investigative mode.

_Clack._

The tell-tale sound of the apartment's front door opening snapped Blake out of her reading; she watched as the familiar face of Ruby approached down the hallway towards the kitchen where she sat.

It was half eleven in the evening. This was the second time Ruby had been out rather late - something which Blake found very uncharacteristic of this young and impressionable artist.

"You've been gone a long time. Classes finished for the day at five o'clock...did you make some friends, I presume?"

"Uhhh...well, I mean, same person as yesterday. We hung out at her place again." Ruby mumbled and began preparing herself a cup of hot chocolate. Blake's curiosity, however, had shifted temporarily onto the mystery friend.

"So who is this girl who you've hit it off with?"

"Oh, ah, it's...it's Weiss."

"_Weiss_? That rich girl we met yesterday?"

"Yeah. She's actually pretty cool once you give her a chance. She has private accommodation rented out, and a Mercedes, and she's also kinda the heiress to Schnee Pharmaceuticals."

Blake raised her eyebrows and looked up from her book. "Schnee Pharmaceuticals? That's-"

"-one of the wealthiest companies on the planet. I know, right?" Ruby said with a smirk. Blake, impressed with her knowledge, pressed on.

"Interesting...I was just reading an old journal about previous alumni of Beacon University. Some of the most powerful individuals in the world have graduated from here...including one Victor Schnee."

"Victor Schnee?" Ruby span on her heel and gave Blake an inquisitive look. "Is he...?"

"Without a doubt. Weiss's father, and therefore the current CEO of Schnee Pharmaceuticals. Naturally, he's an immensely wealthy man; apparently, he studied Biochemistry and Pharmacology during his time here. But...something's off..."

Ruby sat beside Blake and leant over to get a glimpse of the book's contents. "Off? Uhm...what do you mean by 'off', Blake?"

"Victor Schnee doesn't seem to have a graduation date. Almost as if it was edited out of the book just before publication or something. And not only that, just look at this short biography section about him." Blake tapped the page, drawing Ruby's attention to a surprisingly short paragraph. "Nothing about his research or personal work. Every other student catalogued in this book has some mention of their own endeavours or studies, but Victor's part looks like...well, as if the editor came in at the last minute and erased half of the paragraph."

The two girls were silent for a few minutes as they contemplated the implications of Victor Schnee's suspiciously brief coverage in the journal. Ruby was even more intruiged than Blake - principally because her newfound friend Weiss could, potentially, be involved in this, deliberately or not.

"...Food for thought, anyway." Blake quipped, and closed the book with a _thud_. She gracefully stood upright and slipped away towards her room. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, if you want to walk to campus with me?"

Ruby nodded with a polite smile. "Sure thing. Goodnight Blake!"

"Goodnight, Ruby."

And with that, Ruby was alone.

Something about what Blake had said was festering within her mind. Something about the discrepancies with Weiss's dad...the feeling that something just wasn't quite _right _lingered within her brain.

And at the pinnacle of it all, she couldn't help but think about his daughter. Ruby couldn't help but listen to her own intuition - and her intuition was telling her that somehow, Weiss might be in danger.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Watch out for some shorter one-shots I'll be posting between this chapter and the next.**

**If you enjoyed this, please consider a follow or favourite!**

**Until next time.**


	4. Escalation

**Biggest. Hiatus. Ever.**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've had a lot of things going on, and I kinda lost interest in RWBY for a while (shock, horror!). But now I'm back and READY TO RWBY, yay!**

**I'll be updating Elements of Change and my other fic 'Tale of the Junipers' whenever I have the time and energy.**

**I hope you enjoy the fourth chapter!**

* * *

"_Whoaaah_, there's just _so much cool stuff _in this car! What does this button do?!" Ruby gleefully fawned over the various chromium controls on the dashboard of Weiss Schnee's Mercedes sports car. She clumsily prodded her finger onto yet another button - and the brunette was rewarded with a blast of cool air in the face.

"_Gahh!_ I don't like this button! Weeiiiiis, make it stop!"

Weiss rolled her eyes with a sigh, and quickly adjusted the air conditioning with one hand before returning her attention to the winding road ahead.

"Ruby, could you do me a favour? As a friend?" Weiss said in her softest voice, with her sweetest smile. Ruby perked up and nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure Weiss! What can I do for ya?"

"_STOP. PRESSING. BUTTONS._" Weiss whispered through clenched teeth.

Sensing the imminent possibility of a lot of shouting, Ruby withdrew her prying hands from the Mercedes' dashboard and sat silently with her hands in her lap. She waited a few tense seconds before creeping her hand towards a very alluring red button.

Ruby yelped as her hand was slapped away from the button, and Weiss gave her a glare which clearly threatened to boot Ruby out of the car if she even looked at any more of the luxurious sports car's features. Meanwhile, Weiss's driving had become increasingly more aggressive as a result of Ruby's meddling.

"I must have been _out of my mind..._to invite you to a concert of this importance." Weiss gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles as she accelerated around another corner. "You've done nothing but _fidget_ and _irritate me_ for the last half hour. Let me make this clear, Ruby; you do _not_ behave like this in the theater, understand? You do _not_ act like a _child_ whilst Ernest di Rocchio is playing."

"Ernest di _whoosit__?_" Ruby questioned. Weiss's frustration only seemed to grow further.

"_Ernest di Rocchio! _The classical pianist I told you about when I _invited you_! Do you listen to a word I say?!"

"...I listen to _some_ of the words you say. It's the taking part that counts, right?" Ruby chuckled nervously, whilst Weiss seethed in the driver's seat, at the limits of her patience.

Ruby made sure to wait a few tense minutes before she prepared her next 'prank'.

"Hey Weiss? I have a question-"

"Oh for _God's sake_-"

"Nooooo, it's a serious question! I wanted to ask you a really important question about Ronald di Rocchio!"

Weiss clenched her jaw with narrowed eyes. "_Ernest_ di Rocchio. _Ernest_."

"Yeah yeah sure, that guy. It's a really important question about him, about...about his life's work as a piano man. I thought that because you're so clever and cultured and amazing, you could answer my question?" Ruby finished with a heart-warming smile.

Weiss seemed to temporarily calm down in response to the flattery. She cleared her throat and exhaled gently.

"Well, it's nice to see you're finally taking an interest. As someone trained in classical music myself, I'm _sure_ I'll be able to adequately answer your quest-"

"Are we there yet?"

"_RUBY ROSE!"_

* * *

Blake slunk down the dimly lit hallway cautiously, meticulously positioning her footsteps in such a delicate manner that even the gentle breeze outside triumphed over the impossibly quiet placement of her feet. She shifted over to the right of the hall, her slender form clad in jet black attire which seamlessly blended the girl into the long shadows cast down around her.

She froze.

A voice - distant - reverberating down the hallway.

She ducked behind a sturdy bookcase just as the torchlight swivelled around the far corner. Careless whistling accompanied the approaching illumination. Blake drew in in air silently and held her breath, ensuring every fiber of being was utterly motionless.

"Wait, wait - Brad, did you lock the cabinets or did I?" said one of the night guards. Blake carefully peered around the bookcase, observing the conversation.

"Uhh...you know what man, I can't even remember..." the second guard replied with a chuckle.

"Should we go back and check, or...?"

"Uhmmm..._nahhhh!_"

With that, the two night guards chortled and continued on down the stretching hallway, finally allowing Blake to exhale and anxiously continue her infiltration of the Beacon University Archives. She smirked to herself at the foolishness of the night guards, and their decision to leave the archive cabinets unchecked...their carelessness might be her fortune.

Mere minutes later, Blake had navigated through the dark, winding corridors without further incident and arrived at the highly coveted archives. Records of every student and every one of their endeavours were catalogued in this immense, pitch-black repository. Not even Blake's naturally keen eyesight could discern the edges of the room - if it could be called a room at all.

"_Better get to work..._" she whispered to herself.

Blake paced between the immense bookcases which filled the entirity of the archive, straining her eyes to read the titles of various academic volumes. The only light available to her came from the moonlight which seeped in through the enormous glass dome ceiling above.

"_S...S..._" Blake repeated the letter to herself as she searched high and low for it, darting between the looming bookcases silently. "_..S...Got it._"

She discovered the '_S_' section - an entire row of archived alumni records for thousands of past students. Blake began her exhaustive search for one name in thousands: _Schnee._

As a passionate bookworm, it seldom took Blake much time at all to narrow down her search and pinpoint cabinet she needed to investigate. Her luck had failed her, however; the cabinet was indeed locked.

"_Rats!_" she hissed to herself. The black-haired girl was prepared for this eventuality, however, and produced a pristine set of tools from her pocket. She inserted the lockpick and calmly began to deal with it.

_Clack_.

Blake grinned and wordlessly congratulated herself on a particularly speedy break-in.

Within the space of seconds, the girl had scanned through the collection of journals and found her prize.

The uncensored, fully fledged academic record of Victor Schnee.

Blake wandered over into a spot of moonlight, and flipped through the pages. Following the contents page, she arrived at exactly what she wanted...his post-bachelor's research work.

"_Genetics, transgenics...pharmaceutical experimentation...wait...discharged from the university?!_" Blake's whispering halted as she read over the words again and again, with unwavering focus.

Victor Schnee had done _something_ in his research...something which broke multiple strict moral regulations. He'd been removed from the university - and none of this was public knowledge. It had all been kept under wraps, kept secret in this archive.

Until now.

Blake paused and thought to herself. She had a responsibility, a _duty_ to make sure society and the media knew that the CEO of Schnee Pharmaceuticals was _not_ a man to be trusted. What he'd done wasn't clear. Not even the record seemed to dare mention whatever it was. But it had been terrible enough to have him removed without question, and that was reason enough to put him in the public spotlight - and ensure that Victor Schnee lost his company and his job.

Blake froze on the spot - the whistling was back.

The night guards were returning.

Panic raced through her mind. She didn't have time to return the record and seal the cabinet. Her only choice was to escape the Archive - and take the book with her.

She scarpered to her left, melted into the shadows where she became practically invisible - and slipped out of the Archive without a trace, Victor Schnee's record in hand.

* * *

Ruby stumbled merrily towards her bedroom, clutching onto Weiss for support.

"_Weiiiiiissss!_" she sang, barely standing upright as the heiress reluctantly kept the brunette steady with a heavy sigh.

"_What?!_" Weiss seethed.

"Huh?"

"You're the one who shouted my name, dunce! What do you want _now__?!_" Weiss harshly replied. Ruby stared back at the white-haired girl, puppy-dog eyes in full force.

"_Weiiiisss__...please d-don't hate meeee!_" Ruby whined, tears brimming. Weiss rolled her cerulean eyes disbelievingly.

"Oh good lord, don't start crying...I should _never_ have let you have even one _sip_ of that wine...you do realise that the theater is a cultured establishment, right?! I can't _believe_ you got drunk at a concert...at an _Ernest di Rocchio concert, too..._such an embarrassment-"

"I only g-got drunkified because - because _Ernest_ wasn't playing -_hic_- my _favourite_ songs!" Ruby proclaimed through intoxicated hiccuping.

"_Your _favourite songs are all teen-pop nonsesnse. Ernest is a _classical pianist _Ruby!" Weiss heaved Ruby upwards onto her feet again, essentially dragging the younger girl to her room. "That's the _last time_ I ever take _you_ to a sophisticated evening..."

"_NOOOOO, Weiss! _We have to -_hic_- go on _MORE ADVENTURES_!" Ruby shoulder-barged her way into her bedroom and clambered onto her mattress, immediately begining to jump up and down on it - much to Weiss's irritation.

"Ruby, get _down_ from there! Just...just _go to bed_ already!" Weiss yelled.

"I can't, I can't! I've just got so so so so _SO_ much _energy_!" Ruby shouted back, a toothy grin adorning her face.

"Fine. Guess I'll have to _keep_ you down." Weiss sweeped Ruby's legs from under her, causing the brunette to flop onto her bed. With a series of delicate flicks from her wrist, Weiss casted ice upon Ruby's arms and legs, restraining the over-energetic girl.

"_AHHHHH NOOO,_ Weiss! You can't do this, I gotta _jump_ some more, I gotta - uh, Blake?" Ruby paused and perched head up. Weiss gasped and span her head around to face the door too.

In the doorway stood a bewildered Blake, her jaw agape and her eyes wide open.

The colour drained from Weiss's face as she realised what she'd done.

Blake stared at the impressive ice blocks Weiss had casted upon Ruby, a battered red book in her arms.

"Uh, h-hi...I, uhm...R-Ruby, I was just going to...to say I found some information on...on Victor..." Blake trailed off - her attention solely focused on the display of impossibility in front of her.

The tense silence lingered.

Ruby shattered the tension as she broke into amused, drunken giggling. She prodded a finger at Weiss.

"Well, _youuuu_ can -_hic_- have fun explaining this one, _princess Weiiissss!_"

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed Chapter 4, I had a LOT of fun writiing this one!**

**Another update for Elements of Change will come soon (as well as an upate for Tales of the Junipers)!**

**Please rate/review if you'd like!**


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